Telescoping finger board



July 16, 1929. G. E. FENTREss ET Al.

TELESCOPING FINGER BOARD July 16, 1929. G. E. FENTREss ET AL. 1.720.828

TELESCOPING FINGER BOARD Filed June 24, 1927 V2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CFI Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITEDY STATES 1,120,828 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. FENTRESS, ROBERT D. BANE, AND MERLE L. BLACK, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TELESCOPING FINGER BOARD.

Application filed .Tune 24,

An object of our invention is to simplify and consequently speed up the operations of running in7 and coming out of the hole with drill pipe. le do this by eliminating the swinging of the bottom end of the stand to cause the top end to swinearound the end of the linger-board.

lVith our improved linger-board the sequence of steps in racking a stand of drill pipe is as follows: The stand being freed from the rest of the string, the pipe racker hooks his hand hook around it and moves the bottoni end directly towards the bull wheel side of the rig, imparting sufficient velocity to it to cause the upper portion to pass the finger-board, and thence directly to its position on the racking pad where the driller working in unison with hiln sets the pipe. .The derrick man releases the extensible tip of our improved finger-board as soon as the pipe passes it, and when the stand is lowered into positio'n guides it into the notch provided in the finger-board tip. The elevators are then allowed to come down to where he can unlatch them, after which he places the stand in position in the stack.

The raclers first movement follows approximately the center line of the derrick floor. His operation can be divided into two steps, first, a straight movement towards the side of the rig and second, guiding the pipe into position. lVith the usual type of finger-board his movements consist of a pull towards the rotary side of the rig followed by a swing to clear the linger-board and then into position on the pad. This is a longer path requiring greater eflort 0n his part and more time.

In running in7 the sequence of operations with our improved linger-board is as follows. The derrick man leans 'the next stand in the notch in the tip and as the elevators pass, he latches them around the pipe. At the momentof pick-up the finger-board is momentarilv relieved of the reaction of the st-and which enables the derrick man to telescope the ti p into the stem, thus leaving a clear passage` for the pipe to swin out over the hole, the lifting' of the stand being uninterrupted. The racker on the floor simply follows the bottom end and prevents it from swinging beyond the hole. lith the usual type of linger-board the racker must, as the pipe lifts i 'l ar, give the bottom end a :ar of the, 5 vigorous pali, the rotary salie of the 1927. Serial N0. 201,269.

rig followed by a swing to clear the fingerboard and then guide it over the center of the hole. i

By simplifying the movements of the bottom end of the stand two further advantages are gained. The first is that in racking pipe the travelling block does not swing so much, which allows the elevators to more quickly slide down the pipe within reach of the derrick man. The second is that, because the stand is not subjected to a large swing, the travelling block and the upper end of the stand are wobbling less when in position over the hole. thus greatly facilitating the stabbing and screwing together of the tool joint.

A further object of our invention is to provide a pivoted linger-board which can be swung away from the center of the rig when not in use. This increases the clearance between the travelling block and the fingerboard and thus greatly reduces the hazard of these two striking and breaking the lingerboard. In coming ont and in running in it is advantageous to have the finger-board as close to the path described by the travelling bloc-l; as safety permits because this makes towards speed in these operations. For these two operations the clearance between travelling block and finger can be relatively small, because the path of the travelling block does not deviate greatly from the vertical. While drilling this is not true, the travelling block following the wobbling of t-he Kelley or grief lstem which requires greater clearance at the finger-board. Y

A preferred design of our telescoping iinger-board and its application in the derrick are shown on the attached drawings, in which Figures l and 2 are respectively a detailed plan and elevation of a preferred construction of the linger-board proper.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the derrick at the height of the derrick mans platform showing the finger-board in position.

Figure l is an elevation of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section of Figure 2 on the line A A.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, l is a base plate which is secured to the platform 2 by the bolts 3 said bolts passing through the slotted holes 4 and through the timbers or other platform material of which the platform is fabricated. These slotted holes 4 furnish the necessary adjust-ment for locating ,ie and ti et the .finger-board inproper relation to the well hole 6. `On the base plate 1 is a pin 7 which passes through an extension v16 on the sub-base 9. The function of the fixed pin 7 is to secure the subbase 9 by means of the washer 11 and nut 10 so as to provide a pivot for the sub-base 9 and the appurtenances attached thereto. In the base plate 1 are holes 8, said holes matching holes 17 in ears 49 when the relation bet-ween the base plate and the sub-base is as shown in Figures 1 and 2, thereby permitting pins 12 to be inserted in these holes, restraining the sub-base from pivoting about pin 7. The linger-board, when used to stack pipe against, is still farther strengthened against pivoting by the brace 15 rigidly secured to platform 2 by bolting or other means and so arranged that it reacts against the stem 17 approximately as shown. Attached to pins 12 and sub-base 9 are chains 13, the purpose of said chains being to prevent pins 12 from becoming lost or falling when the lingerboard is swun(Y into position 14.

The sub-base 9 has a cap 15 secured to it by bolts 16, said bolts clamping the stem 17 firmly between the cap 15 and sub-base 9. The stem 17 forms the principal rigid pro jection of the finger-board. end of this stem is an annular ring 18, welded or otherwise secured to the stem 17, the open- Ving in ringV 18 forming one guide for the eX- tensible tip 19 which slides therethrough. In the inner end of tip 19 is a circular ring 20, said ring being part of the tip 19. The outside diameter of ring .J is suticiently smaller than the inside diameter of stem 7 to permit an .easy sliding fit therein. The surface 21 ofvring 20. is spheroid in shape to permit the use of ordinary pipe for the stem 17. Secured to the inner end of tip 19 is a rod 22, this rod being approximately radially centered in tip 19 by a cylindrical block 23, and both rod and block restrained in place by pin or rivet 2d. Rod 22 passes through an aperture 25 in the cylindrical block 26, said block being secured in stem 17 by the pin or set-screw 27. On the opposite end of rod 22 a yoke 28 is secured by a threaded connection or in other suitable manner. A coil spring 29 encircles rod 22 between blocks 26 and the inner end of the tip 19 pressing against block 23. The length of this spring is such asto return the tip 19 to its extended position.

r1`he movement of the linger-board tip 19 is obtained by the bell crank 30, this bell crank having a iixed center rotating on pin 31, said pin being carried in a forked arm 32 which is secured to cap by bolts 33. rEhe free end 34: ofthe bell crank 30 has a circular eye or other means suitable for fastening to a rope wire cordl The rod end 35 of the bell crank 30 has a slotted hole 36 fitting Y over a pin 37 secured in yoke 28 by means not shown.v

The rope 37 secured to end 311 of the bell In the outer crank passes over sheaves 38 and 39, these sheaves being secured to theV derrick by means not shown and so located as to guide the rope free rfrom any oustructions and to bring its free end 40 where it will be most convenient for the derrick man to grasp.

The derrick man iinds it necessary to place one foot on the finger-board during part of his duties, so to provide a suitable foothold the U plate 111 is welded or otherwise secured to stem 17. The upper .surface 42 of plate 11 is wickered, knurled or otherwise roughened sov as to decrease the possibility of the derrick man slipping. Y

rlhe possibility of the travelling block, swivel, or other lifting equipment catching on the finger-board is ever present. To reduce this hazard by preventing the lingerboard from falling should such an accident occur, the safety chain 43 is secured to subbase 9 by an eye bolt'tit, the other end of chain 43 being securely fastened to the derrick at some convenient`V point by ,anyV snitable means not shown.

The mechanical operation of our improved finger-board is as follows. The derrick man pulls downward on the end 10 of rope 37 consequently causing the bell crank 30 to rotate about its fixed center 31, this rotation lcausing the end 35 of the bell crank to move through an arc, carrying with it Vthe yoke 28, rod 22 and finger tip 19. rIhe spring 29 is compressed during this movement, storing enough energy to quickly return the tip 19 to its extended position when the derrick man'relieves the pull on the rope.

Though we have described in the foregoing speciiication a complete embodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves to any speciiic mechanical design, our invention being limited solely by the attached claims.

`We claim as our invention:

1. In a linger-board in combination with a well-drilling derrick, a substantially rigid stem attached to said derrick and a retractible extension of said stem.

' 2. In a linger board in combination wit-h a well-drilling derrick, a substantially rigid stem attached to said derrick and pivoted at its fixed end for horizontal movement only, and a retractile extension of said stem.

3. In a linger-board in combination with a well-drilling derrick, a substantially rigid stem attached to said derrick, aretractile eX- tension of said stem and means for retracting said extension.

4;. In a finger-board for well-drilling derricks, astationary base, a substantially rigid stem pivotally attached to said base for horizontal movement only, and a retractile eX- tension of said stem.

5. In a ngerboard Vin combination with a well-drilling derrick, a base-plate slidably attached to the derrick, means for locking down said base-plate at any point in its travel, a substantially rigid stem pivotally attached to said base-plate for horizontal movement only, and a retractile extension of said stem.

6. In a finger-board in combination with a. well-drilling derrick, a base-plate attached to said derrick and a substantially rigid'stem pivotally attached to said plate for horizontal movement only, means for limiting the pivotal movement of said Stem, and a. retractile extension of said stem.

7. In a finger-board in combination with a well-drilling derrick7 a substantially rigid tubular stem attached to said derrick, a retractile extension mounted within said stem, mechanical means for retracting said eXtension, and a spring in compression for returning said extension to its extended poistion.

8. In a linger-board in combination with a welLdrilling derrick, a substantially rigid tubular stein attached to said del'rick, a substantially rigid extension slidably and concentrically mounted in said stem, means for limiting the outward movement of said extension, mechanical means for withdrawing said extension into said stem and a spring in compression within said stem for returning said extension to its extended position.

In witness that we claim the foregoing, we have hereunto subscribed our names this th day of June, 1927.

GEORGE E. FENTRESS. ROBERT D. BANE. MERLE L. BLACK. 

